The following description relates to collaboration workspaces, and more particularly to reusable components in a collaboration workspace.
Many collaboration tools exist today to help computer users communicate with other users in different locations in an efficient manner. For example, network-meeting applications provide a virtual space in which to hold real-time, synchronous meetings. Such applications can offer live presentations or other objects for meeting participants to review and edit. The applications can also offer instant messaging (IM), chat services for communications among participants, and whiteboards on which participants can provide input. Other collaboration tools may provide asynchronous interaction. For example, group members may interact using e-mail or other messaging options, and a collaboration area may be provided where members can review, annotate, comment on, and edit documents.
In general, different collaboration tools can provide users with different benefits. In some situations, one tool is appropriate, while in others, a different tool may be. It is unlikely, however, that any single company will provide the best-of-breed application in all of the areas that will interest a typical user. As a result, users may be required to establish a number of accounts, learn a number of interfaces for establishing collaboration sessions, and separately schedule and track various sessions.
To provide a variety of collaboration tools, a collaboration workspace may be provided that integrates the variety of collaboration tools. In addition to collaboration tools, a collaboration workspace may include resources, such as documents, drawings, and the like which may be accessed by multiple users of a collaboration workspace. The collaboration tools and/or resources may be included in the workspace, or the workspace may provide access through interface components. For example, a workspace may include various portal views, each of which presents an underlying tool to a user and provides access to the tool. Different combinations of collaboration tools and/or resources may be provided as various types of workspaces. To provide different combinations, templates may be provided, each of which may be used for a particular purpose.